Begging robots, overly familiar websites, and the power of the unconscious?

Hello readers, and sorry for the unintentional hiatus on the blog. Anne and I have been recovering from the just-completed semester only to be thrown back into another busy semester. As we adjust, feast on this potpourri post of interesting HF-related items from the past week.

In todays HF potpourri we have three very interesting and loosely related stories:

The BBC looks at the rise of websites that seem to talk to us in a very informal, casual way. Clearly, the effect on the user is not what was intended:

The difference is the use of my name. I also have a problem with people excessively using my name. I feel it gives them some power over me and overuse implies disingenuousness. Like when you ring a call centre where they seem obsessed with saying your name.